Site Essentials
- » Site Introduction
- » Comment Policy
- » Stryker Brigade 101
- » FAQ
- » Thank The Troops
- » Support Our Site
- » Contact Us
- » Terms & Conditions
In Memoriam
Browse Archives
Search Archives
Subscribe to SBN
Browse Our Shop
Awards
U.S. defense officials say the Pentagon will replace Army Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez as the top U.S. commander in Iraq.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say the move does not reflect the general's handling of the prisoner abuse scandal at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison.
The officials say the change is part of an overhaul of the U.S. command structure in Iraq that will put a higher-ranking general in charge.
They also note that General Sanchez has spent more than a year in Iraq, and it would be natural for him to leave soon after sovereignty is transferred to an interim Iraqi government on June 30.
The first suggestion that a change was imminent came from a senior defense official on Monday.
The development comes two days after the U.S. Army denied a report suggesting General Sanchez may have witnessed the abuse of detainees by American soldiers at Abu Ghraib.